Mourning
by historiangirl
Summary: Sadness, sorrow, despair. A phone call. This simple phone call was terrible for Theresa. An only sentence and her world, her universe was blew up in a thousand pieces, crushed under a huge sorrow.


_So long I didn't post a story. Sorry about that. I had the idea for this story since August 2014. This story was originally in French, but I decided to not post the French version and to translate the story._

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Sadness, sorrow, despair. A phone call. This simple phone call was terrible for Theresa. An only sentence and her world, her universe was blew up in a thousand pieces, crushed under a huge sorrow.

With a superhuman strength, some words before hanging up. Her friends, who were in the room, are coming closer to her, wanting to help her. Sadness is so strong, she didn't see them and she didn't hear them.

Blind by tears, she rushed into her friends by accident and she straggled to the stairs. Grabbing the walls, she went to her room. She let herself fall on the bed and she cried, the face hid in the pillow. She emptied her heart heavy with tide of tears.

Soft knockings were heard on her door. Sadness smothered her voice. She couldn't answer. Her door opened delicately.

''Theresa?'' A voice was heard. Her leader, worry in the voice. A little sound of surprise and she heard her door closing before she felt Jay sitting next to her, a hand full of compassion on her shoulder. She gasped in surprise before the tears continued their way on her cheeks.

A sigh and the following moment, he lay down next to her and took her in his arms. Back against belly, head between her shoulder and her neck. Compassion is burning on Theresa. Her tears were harder than before.

He kept her in his arms until she calmed down. Theresa was closer to fall asleep. Jay kissed her cheek.

''Come with me. We need to speak.'' He whispered in her ear. She sighed.

''If you want.'' She answered in a whisper and he helped her to get up. He passed a arm around her frail shoulders and took her outside. Theresa hid her damp face with her hair. They walked to the park and he sat her down on a bench.

He went to a mobile canteen and she waited. The sun was getting down, like Theresa's joy and cheerfulness. She was trying to not cry. She raised her eyes when she saw a cup to her direction. Jay was back with a cup in each hand.

''It's tea. I think I remember your favorite is orange pekoe, right?'' He asked and she took the hot cup in her hands. The heat and the smell seems to calm her.

''Thanks. What did you take?'' She asked, trying to do the conversation. Silence was assaulting her quite hard.

''Hot chocolate. I'm risking a sleepless night with coffee, and the gods only know how much I need to sleep.'' He answered and she slyly smiled. ''So, what's the problem?''

The question she was dreading the most. He wasn't looking at her, she knew it. She took a breath for courage. ''My... my grandma died.''

She congratulated herself for saying that without crying. ''Sorry.'' Almost a whisper. The sadness gave her place to lack of understanding and anger.

''That's all? A simple sorry? Noting else to say?'' She asked and he sighed.

''I have nothing else to say. Anyway, is that really going to help you?'' He asked and she sighed.

''No, not really.'' She confessed. ''How did you-''

''I was mourning before. My grandfather.'' He said before he took a slip of hot chocolate and Theresa understood.

''He was more than my grandfather. He was my hero, my teacher, my captain. He was the one who motivate me to be a sailor. Every time I was going to see him, if weather was on our side, we went to sail. One day, while we were sailing, it was an accident and we fell in the water.''

Jay stopped some seconds his story, the time to prevent the formation of tears and to take a slip of hot chocolate.

''I was quite scared when that happen. I was afraid to drown, even if I had a life jacket on. He saved me, but... he disappeared some hours. I was sleeping at home when my mom learn that her father was found drowned. At the funeral home, since the water didn't damage him that much and I'm also thinking of a professional work of makeup, he was in a open coffin. Since I saw him quite often taking naps, I was thinking he was sleeping.''

''How old were you?'' She asked and she took a slip of tea.

''5. I remember I was saying to my mom that grandfather was sleeping, that he was going to wake up soon. Of course, she was crying more when I was saying that. When... when the coins ceremony began, it hit me quite hard. I remember I screamed in despair at the end of the ceremony. Everyone understood my reaction. Listen, I know right now it's our enemy, but only the time can heal you, Theresa.''

''I know, but it hurt so much.'' She answered as she took a slip of tea.

''She was closer?'' He asked and she had a weak smile.

''When my mom died at my birth, she was one of the person that helped my dad with me. At every mother's day, I let you guess at who I gave my school project we need for mother's day.'' She said and he smiled.

''At your grandmother.'' He answered and she let out some soft agreeing sounds.

''Yeah, before I came at the New Olympia, she got a problem with her heart. The doctor gave her a choice. Be operate, live long, but lost a lot of memories. Or, not accepting the operation, living at least 3 years and keep all her memories. She choose to live her time, but to remember to everyone she loves.'' She explained and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

''Sorry to hear that. So, me or Atlanta tonight?'' He asked and she looked at him, completely confuse.

''Err, excuse me?'' She asked and he chuckled, realizing how she understood his question.

''Sorry, I mean, with who you want to pass the night with? I know at your situation, being alone it's the worst thing to do.'' He explained and she thought about it.

''I think Athena will prefer that I pass the night with Atlanta. I'll ask her when we'll get back... after explaining her the situation.'' She said and he smiled. During some minutes, it was only a silence between them. Only the sound of the wind on the leafs and time to time a slip of each of them managed to break the silence.

''You know...'' Theresa lightly jumped when Jay broke the silence. ''If you need to speak, don't forget you're not alone.''

''I know. Thank you for... tonight.'' She answered slyly, against his shoulder. He passed a arm around her shoulders. He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

''Anytime Theresa. Anytime.''

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_Theresa's reaction at the beginning was exactly mine when I learn that my grandpa died in 2012. Also, the story about Theresa's grandmother's illness is something one of my great-aunt live right now._


End file.
